Christopher Columbus

Born on Sept. 10, 1958 in Spangler, PA, Columbus was raised in Warren, OH, by his factory worker parents. Having been inspired to become a filmmaker after watching "The Godfather" (1972), Columbus began making Super-8 films while attending John F. Kennedy High School. After graduation, he studied film at New York University's Tisch School of the Arts, where he wrote a screenplay called "Jocks" that sold for a cool $5,000, though it remained unproduced. But it was his script for "Gremlins" (1984) that launched his career after grabbing the Steven Spielberg's attention after scores of other directors and producers had passed on the project. A horror comedy with Spielberg producing and Joe Dant... Continue Bio >>